Ban on Iran sailors selling stories

DEFENCE Secretary Des Browne came under renewed criticism today after the government slapped a ban on military personnel selling their stories to the media. The order, which also called for a full-scale review of the situation, came after several personal accounts from sailors and Marines held in Iran for 13 days appeared in the media.

DEFENCE Secretary Des Browne came under renewed criticism today after the government slapped a ban on military personnel selling their stories to the media.

The order, which also called for a full-scale review of the situation, came after several personal accounts from sailors and Marines held in Iran for 13 days appeared in the media.

The officer in command of the Iran captives, Marine Capt Chris Air, from Altrincham, said in an unpaid interview with the M.E.N: "It's not about money - it's about setting the record straight."

Mr Browne conceded the decision to let them speak out had `not been a success'. He insisted it had been a `very tough call' for the Royal Navy, but everyone involved accepted it had `not reached a satisfactory outcome' and lessons must be learned from the coming review.

Appallingly

Opposition politicians accused Mr Browne of acting too late and said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had acted 'appallingly' in putting its personnel `up for auction'. Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said: "The whole situation relating to the captive servicemen coming home has been handled appallingly.

"The MoD has managed to lose public sympathy for our sailors and Marines, cause division within the ranks of the armed forces and serving members of the armed forces have, in effect, been put up for auction in the most horribly undignified fashion - something that has not gone unnoticed overseas.

"We will want to know who made these decisions, at what stage and why."

Mr Browne, who had been made aware of the earlier decision, announced the ban in his first intervention in the row.

It came after a further day of criticism from politicians, military figures, relatives of killed and injured personnel and even ex-Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie.

He said he would not have touched the accounts 'with a barge pole' . Critics claimed the captives were being used as pawns in a propaganda war.

Read Capt Air's full exclusive M.E.N interview via the link on the right of this page.